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Monthly Archives: April 2012

There are many stuff already about how to get more likes and followers. It has been discussing by industry leader since the raise of socail media. As a rule, the main question that tends to crop up is ‘how do I get more likes/followers?’ To be fair, its a valid question as more followers means more people get to see your messages which means more popularity for your business.

But the problem is that social media isn’t about how many fans you have, but how you interact with them, a point that is sadly missed by those resorting to desperate measures, all in the name of an extra fan.

A new report from Forrester Research predicts that number will explode in the years ahead: its researchers say that there will be 375 million tablets sold by 2016, representing a compound annual growth rate of 46 percent, and that by 2016 there will be 760 million tablets in use overall.

That will still put tablets a ways behind PCs — there will be 2 billion PCs in use in 2016. But combined with new products like frames (essentially docks for tablets to amp up their functionality), Forrester says that tablets will gradually become the computing device of choice among consumers — especially among those in emerging markets, whose first home computing device will more likely be a tablet than a desktop or laptop PC.

Apple, which effectively created the tablet market with the launch of its iPad two years ago, and has been setting the bar for what to make ever since, has seen some reduction in its tablet market share over the last year or two as more competitors have launched products.

This research should be read by social game developers. Four approaches to playing MUDs are identified and described. These approaches may arise from the inter-relationship of two dimensions of playing style: action versus interaction, and world-oriented versus player-oriented. An account of the dynamics of player populations is given in terms of these dimensions, with particular attention to how to promote balance or equilibrium. This analysis also offers an explanation for the labelling of MUDs as being either “social” or “gamelike”.

The four things that people typically enjoyed personally about MUDs* were:

i) Achievement within the game context

Players give themselves game-related goals, and vigorously set out to achieve them. This usually means accumulating and disposing of large quantities of high-value treasure, or cutting a swathe through hordes of mobiles (ie. monsters built in to the virtual world).

Achievers say things like:
“I’m busy.”
“Sure, I’ll help you. What do I get?”
“So how do YOU kill the dragon, then?”
“Only 4211 points to go!”

ii) Exploration of the game

Players try to find out as much as they can about the virtual world. Although initially this means mapping its topology (ie. exploring the MUD’s breadth), later it advances to experimentation with its physics (ie. exploring the MUD’s depth).

Explorers say things like:
“Hmm…”
“You mean you don’t know the shortest route from <obscure
room 1> to <obscure room 2>?”
“I haven’t tried that one, what’s it do?”
“Why is it that if you carry the uranium you get radiation
sickness, and if you put it in a bag you still get it, but if
you put it in a bag and drop it then wait 20 seconds and pick it
up again, you don’t?”

iii) Socialising with others

Players use the game’s communicative facilities, and apply the role-playing that these engender, as a context in which to converse (and otherwise interact) with their fellow players.

Players use the tools provided by the game to cause distress to (or, in rare circumstances, to help) other players. Where permitted, this usually involves acquiring some weapon and applying it enthusiastically to the persona of another player in the game world.

Killers says things like:
“Ha!”
“Coward!”
“Die!”
“Die! Die! Die!”

A MUD ( /ˈmʌd/; originally Multi-User Dungeon, with later variants Multi-User Dimension and Multi-User Domain),[1][2] is a multiplayer real-time virtual world, usually text-based. MUDs combine elements of role-playing games, hack and slash, player versus player, interactive fiction, and online chat. Players can read or view descriptions of rooms, objects, other players, non-player characters, and actions performed in the virtual world. Players typically interact with each other and the world by typing commands that resemble a natural language.

We’ve entered into a new era in how we interact with our customers. It’s no longer enough that a strong marketing initiative will turn consumers into customers. If brands want to stay relevant in the digital era, they have no choice but to adapt. Social media is more than media – it’s a cultural shift. While conventional wisdom holds that people don’t want businesses to encroach on their personal lives, that’s far from the truth. Many customers today are utilizing multiple outlets, not just Facebook and Twitter, to ask questions, give feedback and share and connect with others, and are personalizing their experiences whenever possible. 40% of consumers have become a fan of a product or service on social networks, 26% of consumers have followed a brand on Twitter, and 73% of consumers have posted a product or service review on websites like Amazon or Yelp. That’s why today 80% of small businesses are using social media to handle their marketing and sales.

But just being on social media isn’t enough. For businesses to digitally connect with today’s customer, they must not only stand for something but also do something. To have an impact, businesses have to find other ways to connect with customers to turn them from passive reactors to advocates. One of the significant drivers in social media for businesses is engagement – using digital media to connect with people, hear what they want, what they think, how a product or service worked or how it didn’t. Think about what resonates with your audience and whether or not you’re posting “clickworthy” and compelling content that will raise awareness and get attention. The other significant driver in social media is customer service. Many consumers following brands are also customers, which is why smart businesses are using helpdesk software to solve customer’s problems and answer questions instantly. Also, some businesses like Starbucks and American Airlines offer exclusive deals and tips to their digital audiences so they can drive awareness and sales.

The future of social media will offer many exciting, new opportunities for businesses to connect with their customers. That’s why today’s businesses must rethink their future strategies and shift most of their marketing efforts towards engaging with customers. No business is going to strike out by opening the lines of communication with its customers and marketing to them in a personal, caring way that makes them feel valued. Positive brand experiences creates customers, and experience not only matters to customers – it drives results to the bottom line.

One of the most common applications of gamification — the process of applying game mechanics to a non-game context — is personal fitness.

Just take a look at the influx of fitness-centered smartphone apps or the popularity of websites like social network and online game Fitocracy, which motivates users to improve their fitness with stats tracking and digital rewards, and it’s clear that more and more people are switching from personal trainers to digital devices.

Japanese smartphone app developerCreative Freaks realizes that different people are motivated by different incentives, and now they’ve decided to target the health-conscious otaku market with their latest app, “Burn Your Fat With Me,” a game that turns personal fitness into a Japanese dating simulation game.

The app, titled “Nenshou” in Japanese, was originally released for the iPhone last December, followed by an Android version on April 15.

In “Burn Your Fat With Me,” players assume the role of an unassuming and out of shape young man who has just started high school. You happen to be placed in the same class as your childhood friend Mayu Uehara, and after exchanging pleasentreis, she tells you she is worried that you’ve put on too much weight since she last saw you and suggests you go on a diet.

Mayu then becomes your personal trainer and puts you on a daily routine of crunches, during which she appears on the screen in her gym clothes and holds down your legs as she counts your repetitions and cheers you on with fully-voiced words of encouragement. Repetitions are registered by resting your smartphone on your legs and touching the screen every time you bring your upper body forward.

Stick to your training every day and your character’s attractiveness will increase, unlocking new, fully-voiced story events that bring you closer with Mayu.

The iPhone version of the application currently holds a high rating of 4.5 starts from 23 reviews. One user writes: “I couldn’t do any more than around 30 crunches before, but after starting this app I was in the triple digits before I knew it. I may just be simpleminded, but having her praise me keeps me motivated.”

Whatever the incentive, it’s hard to criticize something that motivates people to improve their health. But, while it’s easy to see how an app like this could work in Japan, the land of moe, we wonder what it would do for people in countries without an established culture of high school dating simulators.

Creative Freaks has not mentioned any plans to localize the app, though there is a translated version of the site written in Engrish of the highest caliber that warrants a look. “Burn Your Fat With Me” can be purchased from the iTunes App Store for 170 yen or Google Play for 350 yen.

As part of Skype’s latest marketing campaign, the video call service has launched a Facebook app geared at making our interactions more human: Skype Humoticons.

The app basically allows us to recreate classic emoticon images — such as the smiley face, sad face or tongue-out face — with our own real-life expressions. You can post existing photos to a “Humoticon gallery,” or snap new pictures within the app.

The results can be shared on a Facebook wall, downloaded, or turned into a URL to share in an Instant Message.

The “It’s Time to Skype” campaign launched earlier this month, is based on the premise that social networks such as Twitter and Facebook are “degrading humanity.” Some of the slogans Skype is using for the campaign: “140 characters doesn’t equal staying in touch” and “Upgrade from a wall post to a first class conversation.”

Amazon Kindle Fire Doubles its Share of Android Tablet Market in Two Months

The Kindle Fire, introduced to the market in November 2011, has seen rapid adoption among buyers of tablets. Within the Android tablet market, Kindle Fire has almost doubled its share in the past two months from 29.4 percent share in December 2011 to 54.4 percent share in February 2012, already establishing itself as the tablet by a wide margin. Samsung’s Galaxy Tab family followed with a market share of 15.4 percent in February, followed by the Motorola Xoom with 7.0 percent share. The Asus Transformer and Toshiba AT100 rounded out the top five with 6.3 percent and 5.7 percent market share, respectively.

Larger Screen Tablets See Higher Level of Content Consumption

Tablet adoption among U.S. consumers continues to climb as more devices appealing to various price and feature preferences are introduced to the market. Screen size is perhaps the most outwardly apparent differentiator between devices, with the market offering consumers a wide variety of options such as the 10″ Apple iPad, 9″ Sony S1, 7″ Amazon Kindle Fire and 5″ Dell Streak. Analysis of page view consumption by screen size found a strong positive association between screen size and content consumption. Specifically, 10″ tablets have a 39-percent higher consumption rate than 7″ tablets and a 58-percent higher rate than 5″ tablet

As always, Apple is leading the smartphone market not only for the sales but also for the strategy and trend they bring together. Samsung has hit huge number of smartphone sales quite beyond of Apple. The Korean chaebol will be lining up a new 10.1-inch Galaxy Tab to complement the handset launch. According to rumors, the tablet will apparently be running a dual-core processor, and will not be the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 (that is supposedly getting a quad-core upgrade).

It seems strange for Samsung to launch yet another tablet–a focused product lineup may be a better idea for the company instead of making so many slates. A Samsung spokesperson had previously admitted that the company wasn’t “doing very well in the tablet market”.

Samsung has confirmed that the new Galaxy S3 will be launched on May 3 at Earls Court, London – will it be your next Galaxy smartphone though. The Galaxy S 3 will be powered by a 1.4GHz quad-core processor, after Samsung confirmed the Exynos 4 Quad chip would be used in its next Galaxy device.

Pinterest is a great place to collect images and links to ideas you love, products that rock, and just about anything else under the sun. While most users of the site are still individuals, brands and big businesses have taken note of the major traffic the social media site has been seeing in recent months, and many have begun creating their own Pinterest boards, pinning things from their own sites as well as from around the web. There are hundreds of brands currently using Pinterest for marketing (a number that will undoubtedly grow before the year is out), and some surprising companies are making the site’s visual features work for them. Read on to learn about some of the unexpected brands that are drawing in loads of fans from Pinterest.

Facebook’ s huge growth is against to business books. We havent been told this at college. No company can gain profit over profit. Now, they announced that their first-quarter earnings and revenue declined from the fourth quarter, as a surge in spending on marketing and product research ahead of its initial public offering.

For the March ended quarter, Facebook posted total revenue of $1.06 billion up 45% from the same period last year but down 6% from the fourth quarter. The sequential decline in revenue came despite a steady increase in monthly active users to 901 million, from 845 million in December.

The social network, which makes the majority of its revenue from advertising, has attracted some potential investors for the rocketing growth of its advertising business, but encountered some seasonality in that business.

Facebook, in its regulatory filing, said average revenue per user, or ARPU, declined 12% from the fourth quarter. The company attributed the decline to “seasonal trends” and the fact that user growth was higher in markets where it generates less revenue per user.